I’ve been toying with the idea of creating a handknit item resembling ikat, an Indian and Southeast Asian textile art with designs that have uneven, softer edges—like the edges you get on an ink blot when holding a felt marker for too long on paper.

Some ikat textiles remind me of watercolor or Impressionist paintings and it’s the challenge of achieving that look in a knit that intrigues me.

Here are some examples of beautiful ikat textiles (from The Pepin Press book Ikat: Patterns from Indonesia, Malaysia and India):

I think one option would be to use laceweight yarns double stranded, gradually switching out the color of one yarn then the other until the new block of color is achieved. I don’t think some of the more intricate designs (with leaves and thin branches or coiling lines) can be done—but I’m hoping to be pleasantly surprised.